Feed Your TBR - Ghost Island

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

February 27, 2024

FROM GOODREADS: On a secluded island, homicide detective Jessica Niemi must investigate a drowning that is tied to a frightening ghostly legend in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Jessica Niemi is put on leave after a violent altercation between her and a belligerent man makes headlines. To escape the unwanted scrutiny, Jessica travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago and rents a room at a small seaside inn. She is hoping to be left alone as she faces the possibility that she is losing what is left of her sanity but three elderly visitors have arrived at the inn for their yearly sojourn. Jessica learns that they are the remaining ‘birds of spring’, former refugees who fled Finland as children during World War II and lived together for a few months in an orphanage on the island.

The orphanage no longer exists but the local legend about one of its inhabitants, a girl named Maija, still haunts the surviving orphans. Every evening Maija would put on her blue coat and stand on the pier, looking out at the dark water until one night, she disappeared and was never seen again. When one of the ‘birds of spring’ is found dead, drowned alongside the same pier, and Jessica learns about two other deaths from the past, also connected to the orphanage, she has no choice but to try and put the pieces of this terrifying mystery together.

Jessica can’t be sure whether she’s facing a killer or—just like the legend says—the ghost of Maija, the girl in the blue coat. Uncertain what is real and what is not, Jessica desperately searches for answers that she hopes will stop the murders and finally silence her own demons once and for all… 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I'm going to be honest, it's pretty much the cover. This looks like the perfect book to squeeze in at the tail end of winter when it releases, and the synopsis doesn't sound bad either. 

 

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Feed Your TBR

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: Heavy metal, ripped jeans, Stephen King novels, and the occasional beer at the White Horse have defined urban Indian Kari James’s life so far. But when her cousin Debby finds an old family bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother, it inadvertently calls up both her mother’s ghost and a monstrous entity, and her willful ignorance about her past is no longer sustainable…

Haunted by visions of her mother and hunted by this mysterious creature, Kari must search for what happened to her mother all those years ago. Her father, permanently disabled from a car crash, can’t help her. Her Auntie Squeaker seems to know something but isn’t eager to give it all up at once. Debby’s anxious to help, but her controlling husband keeps getting in the way. Kari’s journey toward a truth long denied by both her family and law enforcement forces her to confront her dysfunctional relationships, thoughts about a friend she lost in childhood, and her desire for the one thing she’s always wanted but could never have.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I was pretty much sold from the first sentence in the synopsis.  However, I also love the idea of Indigenous horror.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS WEEK???

Can't Wait Wednesday (322) - I'm Back

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS:  The island was just the beginning...

In H G Wells' 1896 novel The Island of Dr Moreau a shipwrecked traveller finds himself alone on an island ruled by a mad doctor and inhabited by creatures who are at once both beast and human. He escapes to civilisation only after the scientist is dead and the beast-men have taken absolute control. Yet this is not the end of the matter. The peoples of the island are not done with humanity. Now the conflict between the two has begun in earnest.

The City of Dr Moreau presents a sprawling history of the islanders, and an alternative vision of our own times. Spanning more than a century, criss-crossing across numerous places and many lives, we witness the growth of Moreau's legacy, from gothic experiments to an event which changes the world. From the wharves of Victorian London to a boarding house with an inhuman resident, to an assassin on a twentieth-century train ordered to kill the one man who knows the truth to a diplomat whose mission to parley with beast-men will surely be her last, we follow secret skirmishes and hidden plots which emerge, eventually and violently, into the open.

A tribute to the genius of H G Wells from the author of Dracula's Child, The City of Dr Moreau is a visionary new horror novel in the style of Wells' creepiest and most enduring fictions. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I have always been fascinated by The Island of Dr Moreau so I'm really excited to see what this book brings!

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS:  When Molly Madison, dog-wrangler extraordinaire, stumbles upon a murder in her new hometown, she must track down a killer to save the day.

Ex-police officer and former P.I. Molly Madison is starting over. After the death of her husband, she and her golden retriever, Harlow, move cross-country to California. But as charming and peaceful as the beachside town seems, she soon learns its tranquil tides hold dark secrets.

On her first day in the new house, a large, slobbering Saint Berdoodle wanders in. Molly winds up taking on the responsibility of training Noodle since his owner is too busy to do the job. On one of their daily beachside walks, Noodle digs up a severed hand. Once Molly alerts the police and they run a background check on her, she's an immediate suspect--after all, Noodle's testimony to clear her name won't hold much water in court.

To prove her innocence, Molly must rely on instincts keener than a canine's to sniff out the real killer. But when Molly's life is put in danger, will her two very loyal pups be able to rescue her? 

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  What in the name of Dog is a Saint Berdoodle?  I want Mom to read this book just so she can tell me.  I think that's the real mystery here.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Can't Wait Wednesday (322)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: In this dark and twisty feminist historical thriller, a teenage girl starts a new life as a grave robber but quickly becomes entangled in a murderer's plans.

Soon after her best friend Kitty mysteriously dies, orphaned seventeen-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt." With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as free domestic labor for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share--for a price.

Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaSalle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I love the cover and the whole grave robbing aspect has me super curious!  It may be a great October read!

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Laika is a Cold Dog, a stray pup fighting for her life on the streets of Moscow. Then, one winter night, she is plucked from her alley to become a starflyer, a dog trained to travel into space. Distrustful of people, Laika tries to do everything she can to escape. That is, until she meets Nina.

Nina is a Cold Girl, lonely and full of questions. Her best friend has moved to America in a rush, leaving Nina to face the school bullies all by herself. Plus, her father’s work as a scientist in the Soviet Space Program grows more secretive by the day.

When the two meet in her father’s laboratory, their growing bond slowly warms the chill that has settled in each other’s hearts. As the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union grows fierce, Laika and Nina uncover shocking secrets and hard truths that will test their friendship. How will they find the courage to chase their dreams all the way to the stars?

Based on an incredible true story, Carnegie Medal nominee and New York Times–bestselling author Megan Shepherd crafts a harrowing, propulsive girl-and-her-dog tale that will linger in your heart long after the last page. 

WHY CASS CAN'T WAIT:  I told Mom I thought it would be fun to go to space.  She told me it didn't end well for Laika.  Am I wrong to hope this one has a different ending?

WHAT BOOKS CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Can't Wait Wednesday (321) - A Double Dog Dose!

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

SYNOPSIS: XK9 Rex is a dog who knows too much. Now his past is gunning for him.

Rex and his Packmates were bio-engineered and cyber-enhanced to be cutting edge law enforcement tools. So smart they’re considered uplifted sapient beings on Rana Habitat Space Station. Rex may be the Leader of the Pack on Rana, but his past is still gunning for him.

Before Rex came to Rana Station, he ran afoul of Transmondian spymaster Col. Jackson Wisniewski. He deliberately flunked out of the espionage program and threatened Wisniewski’s life. Now Wisniewski wants Rex dead. Transmondian agents watch and wait for any opportunity to strike.

Rex takes pains to evade his old enemy. His human partner, Charlie, faces a different struggle. He works to recover from catastrophic injuries – and comes face-to-face with a once-in-a-lifetime love he thought he’d lost forever.

Can Rex and Charlie confront their pasts and secure their futures? Or will events force them to sacrifice everything?

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I feel like I've been waiting for years for this book.  When Jan contacted me last week and said it was getting ready to roll out, I actually squealed as bit.  And how awesome is that cover?  You can find my review for the first one HERE.

CASSIUS'S PICK:

SYNOPSIS: It's scary being the new dog.

In this suspenseful new series, readers meet Sophie, a dog who can't remember what happened. She doesn't know how she ended up in this house. She doesn't recognize any of these other dogs. She knows something terrible happened but she just... can't... recall... Wait! Where's her lady? It's all coming back to her now, and it's enough to raise Sophie's hackles. Now Sophie has to figure out where she is, what's happening and how she's going to survive this.

They say there's no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners.

STRAY DOGS is a heartbreakingly adorable suspense thriller by My Little Pony comic artists TONY FLEECS and TRISH FORSTNER. It's Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs.

Collects STRAY DOGS #1-5

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  I'm a very visual dog so I love reading graphic novels with Mom.  I'm super curious about the tag of Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs.  I can't imagine what that's all about.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Can't Wait Wednesday (320)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

October 5, 2021

FROM GOODREADS:  Winter, with its unsettling blend of the cosy and the sinister, has long been a popular time for gathering by the bright flame of a candle, or the warm crackling of a fire, and swapping stories of ghosts and strange happenings.

Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors - master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre - bring this time-honoured tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales.

From a bustling Covent Garden Christmas market to the frosty moors of Yorkshire, from a country estate with a dreadful secret, to a London mansion where a beautiful girl lies frozen in death, these are stories to make your hair stand on end, send shivers down your spine and to serve as your indispensable companion to the long nights of winter.

So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of The Haunting Season . . .

Featuring new and original tales from:

*Bridget Collins

Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding

*Imogen Hermes Gowar

Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock

*Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mercies

*Andrew Michael Hurley

Sunday Times bestselling author of The Loney

*Jess Kidd

International award-winning author of Things in Jars

*Elizabeth Macneal

Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory

*Natasha Pulley

Sunday Times bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

*Laura Purcell

Award-winning author of The Silent Companions 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I think cold snowy weather is the perfect time to read scary ghost tales so I think this book will be one I definitely have to add to my winter TBR.  Doesn't hurt that it has some fantastic contributors as well.

CASSIUS'S PICK:

September 28, 2021

FROM GOODREADS: Thanks to an accidental phone swap, two adorable rescue pups, and a coffeehouse clash, a holiday flirtation goes to the dogs and hilarity ensues, from New York Times bestselling author Julia London.

All Harper Thompson wants for Christmas is the huge promotion she's worked so hard for--which she should get, as long as her launch of the hip new coffeehouse, Deja Brew, goes according to plan. Jonah Rogers is trying to save his family's coffee shop, Lucky Star, from going out of business, which will be tough with the brand-new Deja Brew opening across the street.

When Jonah and Harper meet for the first time after accidentally swapping phones, their chemistry is as electric as a strand of Christmas lights. He's a tall, handsome, compassionate hunk of engineer, and she's an entrepreneur whose zest for life is very sexy. They love all the same things, like scary movies, greasy food--and most of all, dogs. It's a match made in heaven...until Jonah finds out that Harper's the one about to put him out of business.

Only one coffee shop likely can survive, and a competition of one-upmanship ensues in a battle of the brews. The paws really come out when the local rescue shelter has a fundraiser where local businesses foster dogs, and patrons vote with their dollars for their favorite pup. Harper takes in an adorable old bulldog on behalf of Deja Brew, while Jonah fosters a perky three-legged dachshund for Lucky Star. As the excitement builds for who will be crowned King Mutt and king of the coffee hill, Harper and Jonah must decide if their connection was all steam or if they are the perfect blend.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT: Mom doesn't know this but this book is  going on her Christmas reading list.  She really has to read first book, Lucky Dog, before that happens though,  If I can figure out how to use my nose and move it up on her Kindle, perhaps I can get her to do that.  And isn't the cover adorable?  Reminds me of Booker T!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

What's Happening (06-05-21)...

 

So once again I'm going to try to make this a regular feature.  I got really bad about updating at the end of 2020.  Hopefully I'll get better at checking in regularly.  As always, I'm linking up with Stacking the Shelves at  Tynga's Reviews and The Sunday Post at The Caffeinated Reviewer.  

The past two weeks at The Farm have been pretty  good.  The weather has been hot, then really cool, and the hot again.  Over Memorial Day weekend Mr. Barb and his friend put new roofs on the front and back porches and then replaced a few of the wooden siding boards.  The boys were thrilled with the noise, and truth be told neither was I, but it's nice to have those two projects checked off. 

Work has been going fine and I feel like each day I'm growing more comfortable with what I'm doing.  I work with a great group of people and so far haven't had to really travel any and have been working from home.  I honestly have the two best on-site co-workers in the world - Cassius and Apollo.

Speaking of Cassius, his girlfriend graduated last weekend.  He didn't get to go to the graduation party, because I'm sure the restaurant would have frowned on it, but he did get to deliver his gift to her and met her entire family.  Everyone  loves him and calls him Emma's boyfriend.  She will be home for the summer but then is headed to my college Alma Mater to become a coroner.  Her step-mom said she'd have to fill in for Emma and give Cass back scratches and tummy rubs while she is aware.  

I watched the entire season of Panic last week. I never read the book and never really wanted to but the series was addictive and at the very least, entertaining.  And it even has a tiger - didn't see that one coming!  We also watched Army of the Dead and was thrilled this week when they announced they were filming a sequel.  

I've been reading a lot but not reviewing much which has put me really behind.  I need to desperately catch up because I've read some great books I really want to share.  Right now I have three books on the go and one sitting in waiting.  Here's what's up in my reading future:

So hope you all are enjoying the start of your summer.  Look for some reviews coming this week which feature books I know some of you will want to read!

Can't Wait Wednesday (319)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: It’s 1998 in Hooperstown, New Jersey and people are getting sick. Some citizens blame the local chemical plant. A select few believe something far more terrifying is responsible, a dreadful force that causes nightmarish visions and aberrant illnesses. Bad things are blooming in Hooperstown, and the stench of death is growing stronger...

Standing on the edge of summer break after the longest last day of eighth grade ever, Doug Simms and his two best friends join a group of older kids for an all-night scavenger hunt. It’s supposed to be a celebration, an evening of fun and freedom. But what happens that night will change their summer in the darkest ways imaginable. And not just their summer...but their entire lives.

MALIGNANT SUMMER is a coming-of-age epic where innocence is lost and the path through adolescence is painful. Where dreamscapes merge with reality. Where love seems possible, and the best season feels like it can last forever. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I think this sounds like a perfect summer horror read.  I enjoy coming of age tales and the fact that it takes place in 1998 makes it even better.  I really do hope it's a good read because Meyer must be taking some lessons from King and this one clocks in at 625 pages.

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Joanne Fluke, a bitter discovery is made in a sweet-as-candy town, in Kitt Crowe's Sweet Fiction Bookshop series debut.

Life is sweet when you live in Confection, Oregon. Or, at least, that's how it's supposed to be. But on a summer day, when tourists and locals alike gawk at the majestic mountains, quaint Craftsman houses, and lovely flowers--particularly the renowned Confection Rose--the last thing anyone has come to see is a dead body, unearthed from a shallow grave by a curious dog.

A bathrobe-clad Lexi rushes next door to her neighbor's backyard to find her pooch, Cookie, stalwartly sitting watch over a body in the vegetable garden. Cookie, encrusted in dirt, grips a copper pipe between her teeth. Was this the murder weapon? And was Lexi the murderer? It sure looks that way, seeing as she was spotted squabbling with the victim just the day before. The case becomes all the more perplexing when the real murder weapon turns out to be a garden stake. Then where does the copper pipe fit in? And might a more likely suspect let Lexi off the hook?

All the volumes in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop, and all the specials at Eats n' Treats, prove of little help in jogging Lexi's brain to find a solution. Fortunately, Cookie is not finished digging up clues. As the fur flies, can this trusty border collie mix save sweet Lexi from a bitter end? 

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  It's simple.  Mom likes cozy mysteries and this one features a dog - enough said WOOF WOOF!

Can't Wait Wednesday (318)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: At the turn of the 20th century, minstrel shows transform into vaudeville, which slides into moving pictures. Hunkering together in dark theatres, diverse audiences marvel at flickering images. This "dreaming in public" becomes common culture and part of what transforms immigrants and "native" born into Americans.

Redwood, an African American woman, and Aidan, a Seminole Irish man, journey from Georgia to Chicago, from haunted swampland to a "city of the future." They are gifted performers and hoodoo conjurors, struggling to call up the wondrous world they imagine, not just on stage and screen, but on city streets, in front parlors, in wounded hearts. The power of hoodoo is the power of the community that believes in its capacities to heal and determine the course of today and tomorrow.

Living in a system stacked against them, Redwood and Aidan's power and talent are torment and joy. Their search for a place to be who they want to be is an exhilarating, painful, magical adventure. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I love Tor publications and this one sounds so intriguing.  Too bad it's such a long wait.

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: The Secret Life of Pets meets Scooby Doo in this hilarious sequel to The Great Pet Heist that follows the furry friends as they hunt down a ghost!

Butterbean is bored. She and the other pets pulled off a heist once, but that was like a million years ago. Nothing exciting has happened since then. That is, until Mrs. Third Floor shows up at their apartment, convinced there’s a ghost in the building.

Mrs. Third Floor’s rental unit is showing signs of paranormal activity—eerie noises, objects moving when no one is there, fish disappearing from the tank overnight. The pets decide to investigate. Soon they’re confronted with a bigger problem than just ghosts: professional ghost hunters who are offering to drive out the spirits for a hefty fee. It’s up to Butterbean and the rest of the gang to save Mrs. Third Floor from losing her life savings to scammers, all while dealing with some really annoying new animals. Can the furry friends uncover the truth in time?

WHY CASS CAN'T WAIT:  Mom needs to get her groove back.  She's had a horrible two months so Cass and I are taking it upon ourselves to put some more fun in her life.  Doesn't this sound fun????  And personally, I love Scooby Doo!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Can't Wait Wednesday (316)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: The Conjuring meets Sadie when seventeen-year-old podcaster Dare takes an internship in a haunted house and finds herself in a life-or-death struggle against an evil spirit.

Dare Chase doesn’t believe in ghosts.

Privately, she’s a supernatural skeptic. But publicly, she’s keeping her doubts to herself—because she’s the voice of Attachments, her brand-new paranormal investigation podcast, and she needs her ghost-loving listeners to tune in.

That’s what brings her to Arrington Estate. Thirty years ago, teenager Atheleen Bell drowned in Arrington’s lake, and legend says her spirit haunts the estate. Dare’s more interested in the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death—circumstances that she believes point to a living culprit, not the supernatural. Still, she’s vowed to keep an open mind as she investigates, even if she’s pretty sure what she’ll find.

But Arrington is full of surprises. Good ones like Quinn, the cute daughter of the house’s new owner. And baffling ones like the threatening messages left scrawled in paint on Quinn’s walls, the ghastly face that appears behind Dare’s own in the mirror, and the unnatural current that nearly drowns their friend Holly in the lake. As Dare is drawn deeper into the mysteries of Arrington, she’ll have to rethink the boundaries of what is possible. Because if something is lurking in the lake…it might not be willing to let her go.  

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I'm in a real horror mood lately and it's pretty much all I want to read.  Although I'm sure that will change soon, doesn't this one sound great?  And that cover!  I know people tend to love books with podcast elements so this has that going for it as well. 

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn . . .

When she's abandoned just before Christmas, Peggy the pug is taken in by a foster family with a unicorn-mad little girl. Peggy thinks that her new friend, Chloe, wants a unicorn for Christmas - not a puppy. Believing that anything is possible, Peggy decides that she will turn into a unicorn. All she needs is a long silky mane, a glowing horn, and the ability to do magic! Easy, right?

Peggy is determined to make her new friend's Christmas wish come true. And if she does, maybe she'll finally find a forever home . . .

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  I've been looking for some books for Apollo.  I mean, that kid needs to read more and torment me less.  I think he'll enjoy this one.  It would be so cool if he was a unicorn, but don't tell Mom I said that.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Can't Wait Wednesday (315)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson!

Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper.

The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.

But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right?

As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  Just look at that cover.  And I really enjoyed Get Out so I'm hoping I'll enjoy this one as well.

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Holiday mischief abounds in this third book in the middle-grade series that feels like The Secret Life of Pets meets Toy Story .

It's the holiday season at Good Dogs doggy day-care! Lulu takes some time off from growing her Instagram fame to enjoy Jasmine's family, King and Cleo learn their family is about to grow some more, and Napoleon can't help but brag about his family's eight nights of presents.

But Hugo has the biggest challenge of all. His new puppy brother, Waffles, starts talking about how Santadoodle, Santa's dog, puts presents for dogs into their owner's shoes on Christmas morning.

Hugo is skeptical at best: he's never heard of Santadoodle and never found presents in his humans' shoes that he didn't put there himself. But he can't bear for Waffles to be disappointed, especially on Christmas. That means the Good Dogs have a new chaos-filled mission!

This third installment of the Good Dogs series brings fun holiday cheer and lessons about expectations, adapting to change, and appreciating what you have.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT: I've already put this on my Christmas list.  Mom definitely has to get this one for us because I want to hear all about Santadoodle.  

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Can't Wait Wednesday

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: Riverdale meets Stephen King in the terrifying new thriller from the author of Harrow Lake.

From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well—since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she's been plagued by nightmares. But when someone close to her is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction. Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there's a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I still need to read Harrow Lake but I can't help but fall for the Riverdale/Stephen King comparison.  

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, enjoy walking their dogs, Tara and Sebastian. By this point in their marriage, it's routine. When out for one of their strolls, their simple ritual isn't so simple anymore. Across the street, a man is mistreating his dog. Three things happen at once: Andy yells, Laurie runs to stop the abuse, and so does a closer passerby, who so thoroughly beats the owner that both are arrested when the cops arrive.

Andy scoops up the dog and takes him to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that's always been his true passion. Meanwhile, at the police station, the passerby is identified as Matthew Jantzen, and he's wanted for murder. Andy and Laurie are struck by the fact that Jantzen, a man on the run, would nevertheless intervene to help a dog, and decide to find out more.

Dog Eat Dog, the twenty-second installment in the Andy Carpenter series, features the charming cast of characters - old and new - that David Rosenfelt is known for and the dogs that accompany them.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  I've given up all hope that Mom will ever read this series - even though she needs to do so.  So basically I'm featuring this one because it has a great cover.  Dogs and donuts.  What more can you want?

WHAT BOOKS CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???